India raises Mumbai blasts organised crime links at UN

The crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts was not just given state protection, but it also enjoyed five-star hospitality, India said at United Nations, in a veiled reference to Dawood Ibrahim believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

Speaking at the International Counter-Terrorism Conference 2022 organised by the Global Counter-Terrorism Council on January 18, India's Permanent Representative TS Tirumurti said that linkages between terrorism and transnational organised crime must be fully recognised and addressed vigorously.

"Linkages between terrorism and transnational organised crime must be fully recognised and addressed vigorously. We have seen the crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts not just given state protection but enjoying 5-star hospitality," Tirumurti said in a statement.

On March 12, 1993, a series of 13 bomb explosions took place in Mumbai, killing 257 people and injuring over 713 others. The attacks were planned by Dawood Ibrahim, underworld don and India's 'most wanted' fugitive.

Tirumurti said that the UN sanctions regimes, including the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, are pivotal to the international efforts in preventing terror financing, terrorist travel and access to arms by the terrorist organisations.

Furthermore, the Indian Ambassador said that Al-Qaida's linkages with UNSC proscribed Pakistan-based terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) continue to strengthen their operations.

While stating that transnational terrorism, crimes, and funding ought to be identified and addressed on priority, Tirumurti said that the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 proved to be a turning point in terrorism in the global counter-terrorism domain.

(ANI)